My catareacts /implants operation 2005
I am nearly 67 years of age and, because of myopia (short sight), had worn glasses since the age of six.The first thing I did when I woke up in the morning was to reach for my glasses before even getting out of bed
Over the years my sight gradually deteriorated and I ended up wearing bifocal lens and had to have special very expensive lens made which were grinded down at the edges because they were so thick and because of this I was also limited in choice of spectacle frames.
I was also diagnosed with GLAUCOMA in 1988 and have to use eyedrops twice a day in each eye for the rest of my life to stabilise my condition and stop me going blind because of high pressure in my eyes. I have taken part in a monitoring scheme at the glaucoma clinic in my local eye hospital since 1988. I will still have to continue using my eyedrops after my cataract operation...you can only stabilise the condition ...not cure it.
During my regular visits to the glaucoma clinic over the years where, each time I visit, they do various tests, such as field of vision tests , eye drops to dilate my pupils so they can look behind my eyes using a camera, and an eye pressure test, they found out CATARACTS were forming on both of my eyes. The progress of these cataracts were then also monitored by the clinic.
In March of this year I was then informed my cataracts were now growing quickly and had `ripened` so I was then referred to an eye specialist at the hospital to see about getting them removed.
Days after my Mothers death in April I eventually got my appointment with the eye specialist and he examined my eyes and described how the operation will be carried out and remarked my type of cataracts are unusual because they are the type normally occurring in folk who have been on steroid treatment or have diabetes but I have never been on that sort of treatment as far as I know and do not have diabetes. He also remarked I have one oval eye and one round one..fancy finding that out at my age..lol!!
In May I had an appointment at the Cataract Clinic to get my eyes measured for the plastic implants they will insert during my operations, and was given two types of drops to keep in my fridge and will have to insert one drop of type A and then five minutes later another drop of type B one hour before the time I will be due in Theatre
They will operate on my right eye on June 24th and if that is successful they will do my left eye on July 1st
me before my operations
24th June 2005
10.30am ........Well.....today`s the day !! It`s late morning and I`m due in theatre in three hours time and feeling slightly apprehensive. I have inserted my glaucoma drops in my eyes, got the documents with my appointment and instructions about what I have to do prior to surgery and have read them over and over again.lol........I have my two lots of drops ready to take an hour before surgery ie 12.30 and then its straight to the hospital to report to the main theatre at 1.30pm
1.30pm
The drops I inserted an hour ago have now dilated my right pupil..its huge.....In the preparation room adjoining the operating theatre I was given drops in my eye to `freeze` my eye so that I didnt experience any pain during the operation and all my particulars taken and checked and two identity tags attached to my wrist.one with my name etc and the other with details of things I`m allergic to..ie Penicillin, nickel etc etc ....I was also offered an injection to sedate me during the operation but declined because I am nervous of this type of injection because I have an enlarged heart/ irregular heartbeat/high blood pressure and I`m not really worried about the actual operation because I was assured I would feel no pain. I am not frightened of a needle .I get regular blood tests done because of blood problems and for years now have also taken two types of blood pressure tablets and thyroid tablets every day
I was then wheeled into the theatre.....I lay on a trolley and because of heart/circulation problems my feet and legs were slightly raised and my blood pressure was monitored throughout the operation even though I had had no aneasthetic apart from the drops in my eye.
The surgeon then placed a covering over my face with a hole for the eye he would be working on and proceeded to put `clamps` round my eye to stop me from blinking and then opened up the front outer lining of my cloudy lens and removed the cloudy contents using an ultrasound machine and lots of water. The implant was then inserted through a tiny incision and opened up inside the eye where it will stay forever exactly where my cloudy lens was. The implants were specially selected for my eyes.
I wore my ordinary casual clothes and could eat and drink normally prior to the operation and the whole procedure from entering the preparation room and then having the op in the theatre took about 30 minutes. I got up from the trolley immediately after the implant, was offered a cup of coffee which I declined and was given eye drops to take three times a day and then went straight home. My eye was not covered up . I was told I may experience some pain and/or headaches and vision could be blurry for a couple of days and to just take pain killers but I had no need because I had no headache and just discomfort in my eye......a feeling like having an eyelash trapped in my eye.
25th June
I woke up this morning and can see clearly with my `new` eye.......everything looks brighter and more colourful and my eye discomfort has almost gone !! but I cant see text on my computer and can`t read a book or newspaper....anything very close is blurry.......I was told I will need reading glasses after they do my left eye next week....but I was amazed when looking out the front window I could make out individual bricks on the house opposite and could see the leaves in the trees.... for years they were just a pink blur and a green blur and I could see and recognise faces of folk walking along the street!! .... thats amazing after just one operation when I have had just ONE eye done.......can`t wait to get the second eye done now.lol
To show what a computer nerd I am I tried using my glasses to see out of the eye that hasnt been operated on but got double vision so put a plaster over the lens of the right lens but my vision is too poor in my left eye to see my computer that way.........oh well...a small price to pay.......in about three weeks time hopefully I will have reading glasses to use with my computer
July 1st
a repeat of last week except I was kept waiting in the preparation room for an hour or so because the eye specialist was dealing with an emergency eye operation on an old lady.Prior to surgery they gave me a vision test on my right eye.........I could read the opticians letterboard clearly to the line of letters three lines from the bottom!!!
By 11pm I can see well enough to go on my computer and was then able to read text on my computer again even though my left pupil was still slightly enlarged and the discomfort in my eye is now minimal and have no headache!!
July 2nd
I woke up this morning and found myself, out of habit, reaching for my glasses.......but I dont need them any more......my eyes feel fine....no discomfort at all and I can see clearly! I looked out the bedroom window and looked into our back garden and marvelled at all the wonderful bright colours of the flowers there..I knew my eyesight had been very bad for quite a while but hadnt realised how bad it had been until today...its wonderful !!
I still cant read small print.........ie newspapers and books so went into town and bought some reading glasses over the counter at the chemists`s shop because I love reading and have missed doing that for a week or so
July 3rd
woke up this morning and picked up a book..........then realised I was reading it without my reading glasses.lol.my sight in my left eye has improved over the weekend.....so I found something with very tiny print and yes....I had to put on reading glasses
I now have to use eye drops three times a day in each eye until my checkup appointment on July 14th
Saw the specialist for my followup appointment and the hospital is pleased with my progress and have told me to just reduce the drops to two in each eye each day for a further four weeks and then visit an optician to get reading glasses for very small print! I will however still have to use my eye drops for glaucoma for the rest of my life.
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..and the `new me` a couple of days after the cateracts were removed and implants put in.
from my friend Lynda when she discovered I was straight back on my computer after my op.lol